Hopper mechanism



Sept. 18, 1934.. K. G. LOCKIE 1,973,720

IIOPIFER MECHANISM Original Filed April 10, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR; Kenneth 6110078139.

By Q I ATTORNE s.

Sept. 18, 1934. s. LOCKIE 1,973,720

' HOPPER MECHANISM 7 Original Filed April 10', 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Ia 65' IN VEN TOR.

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Sept. 18, 1934. K. a. LOCKIE 1,973,720.

HOPPER MECHANI SM Original Filed April 10, 19:50 3 Sheets-Sheet :5.

INVENibR. fienneih l lotkz'e.

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Patented Sept. 18, .1934

HOPPER MECHANISM Kenneth G. Lockie, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignorto Hooklcss Fastener Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationApril 10, 1930, Serial No. 443,193

I Renewed December 9, 1933 -10Claims.(0l.1531) v r This inventionrelates to machines for ar-'- ranging small irregular articles in adefinite position for feeding to an automatic -;machine which performswork on such articles or'assembles them with other articles. Suchmachines are generally called hoppers and my invention e aimsparticularly to provide an improved hopper for the sliders and pullmembers used in slide actuated fasteners, althoughof course. theinvention is equally applicable to numerous articles, especially tosmall articles having a trans verse engaging surface or lugunsymmetrically located.

'I'hegeneral object of the invention is therefore to provide an improvedhopper for articles of the character mentioned which shall be simple inconstruction and. reliable and efllcient in operation. r

My improved hopper embodiea'theprinciple of a removable receptacle forthe.1 carticles,'

and an interceptor arranged infthe' path of movement of the articles inthe. receptacle constituting a stop for engaging irregularities in, andobstructing normal movement of such arti- 'cles as strike theinterceptor in the proper positions, in combination with a guide forconveying the intercepted articles from the receptacle. The articles aremaintained in their proper relative positions on the guide, from whichguide the articles can be conveniently supplied to an automatic machine.Preferably the receptacle comprises a rotating bowl mounted on aninclined axis, and the interceptor and guide are formed from a bladewhich projects von an 85 incline into the receptacle.

Other improved features embodied in the pre ferred form of the inventioninclude the particular construction of the blade in which the endconstituting the interceptor is normally parallel to the floor of thereceptacle; -also the blade is twisted on a spiral so thatthe guideportion is arranged in a vertical plane whereby the articles which arecaught by the interceptor are changed from'a horizontal position to avertical position;

a guard which surrounds the rotating receptacle and provides means forsupporting the interceptor and guide blade; a deflector member inconiunction with the interceptor for preventing In the accompanyingdrawings-I have shown for purposes of illustration twoembodiments whichmy invention may assume in practice and three examples of articles which'may be conveniently handled by the hopper of my invention. In thesedrawings:

Fig. 1 represents a front elevation view of the principal parts of ahopper embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the hopper of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation view showing a portion of thedriving and adjusting mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on line 4-4 Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation view of the guide portion of the bladeillustrating the articles as they are supplied by the hopper to asuitable automatic machine.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on lin 6-6 of.Fig. 2. w y

Fig. 7 is a detail view of the guide.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view with parts broken away, illustrating aslider intended for slide fasteners, in one stage of the process ofmanufacture.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view illustrating a pull member for attachmentto the finished slider.

Fig. 10 is a. front elevation view of a modified hopper embodying myinvention, to accommodate sliders in their finished form, and similararticles.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view on line 11-11 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the guide portion of the bladeillustrating the arrangement of the sembling machine.

Fig. 13 ,is a perspective view of a portion of the guide.- a r Fig. 14is a perspective view illustrating a finished slider as exemplifyingarticles which may be hoppered by the machines of Fig. 10.

The hopper shown in Figs. 1 to 'l inclusive may be mounted on a table orany convenient base frame as indicated at 1B. A horizontal driving shaft17 is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings supported by the base 16and driven. from any external source of power by means of a belt 18which over the driven pulley 19 and idler pulley 20. A ce timetre;-

housing and supporting castingv 21 is also supported on the base framein such a'manner as to be adjustable angularly about the shaft 17,

and for this purpose suitable: bosses or shoulders 22 are formed on theframe concentric with the bearings for the shaft 1'7 and suitableclamping and bearing portions 23 of the supporting casting casting is acombined bearing and supporting block 26 which has a cylindrical outersurface for receiving the guard 27, which is provided with a bearingextension 28 fitting around the bearing block, 26. The guard can thus beadjusted to any desired angular position and held in place on the blockby a clamping bolt 29. The article receptacle or bowl 30 is supported onand keyed to a shaft 31 which is inclined at an acute angle to thevertical depending on the angular adjustment of the supporting casting21 relative to the base, and preferably at an angle of about 30. Theshaft 31 is journaled in a bearing 32 in the block 26 which is.concentric with .the outer surface of the block and is driven by meansof a Worm. gear 33 keyed to the shaft which is in turn driven by a worm34 keyed to the driving shaft 17. The lower end of the shaft 31 isjournaled in a bearing 35 in the supporting casting 21, and the weightof the shaft and worm gearis taken by a thrust bearing 36 below the wormgear. A small cap 360 is preferably attached to the shaft at its upperend to prevent access of dirt and metal chips from the receptacle to thebearings. The receptacle 30 is preferably made in two partsconstitutingthe floor portion 37 and a cylindrical ring or bowl portion38 attached to the member 3'7 by suitable screws 39. Referring nowto theupper surface of the member 37 which constitutes the floor of the bowlor receptacle, the'central portion is preferably of conical shape toprovide a cup-like recess 40, while the surface nearer the periphery ofthe bowl is fiat and preferably in'the plane of the rotation, that is,perpendicular to the shaft 31, to provide a flatjsurface 41 for apurpose which will presently appear.

A blade generally designated 42 projects into the bowl on an inclineand. preferably extends almost to the wall 38. The free end portion ofthe blade constitutes an interceptor 43, which as shown in Fig. 6, isparallel to and spaced only a slight distance from the uninterruptedflat surface 41 of the floor of the bowl. The blade is preferablytwisted in its central portion 44 into a vertical plane as indicated bythe rguide portion 45. The blade 42 is supported from a bracket 46 uponan angular block 47, positioned between the bracket and blade and heldin position by screws 48. The bracket 46 is carried by and depends froma supporting bar 49 extending diametrically across the bowl and havingits ends fixed to the upper edge of the guard member 27, by means ofscrews 50, the bracket being attached to the bar 49 by any suitablemeans such as screws 51. I I

A thindeflector blade 52 is mounted between the interceptor 43 and thefiat surface 41 of the bowl and extends beyond the front edge of theblade. The edge of the blade 52 isbeveled as shown at 53 in Fig. 6, toprovide means for deflecting. the ends of the articles upwardly at anangle and prevent them from jamming in the wrong positions against thefront edge 54a. of the interceptor. This deflector 'blade is of coursesupported from the bracket 46 in the.

same manner as the'blade 42. Along the vertical portion of the bladewhich constitutes the guide for the articles after emergingfrom thehopper, is mounted a retaining member 54 which is spaced from andextends parallel to the guiding portion 45 of the blade. This retaining-member may be supported in any convenient manner from the blade 45 ormay be integral therewith.

The structure of the slider and pull members, which may be hoppered bythe mechanism which has just been described, will now be considered.

In Fig. 8 is shown a slLder blank which has been forged fromv sheetmetal into the shape illustrated. In this form it comprises a pair ofwings 56 having flanges 5'7 and a thickened connecting portion 58. Oneof the wings is provided with an integral boss or attaching lug 59having a shoulder 60, which is unsymmetrically located with respect tothe ends of the blank.

In Fig. 9 is shown a slider pull comprising a plate 61 blanked out ofsheet metal into the form shown and provided with a lug 62 bent up atright-angles at one end of the plate. The function of this lug in aslide fastener is to lock the slider against movement relative to thefastener elements. The pull blank has a recess 63 stampedout andinwardly projecting connecting lugs 64 which can be bent into theindented recesses 65a in the attachng boss 59 of the slider The sliderblanks as arranged in Fig. 8 are fed to a machine which bends the blanksto U- shape with the flanges 57 adjacent each other to lie on oppositesides of the fastener stringers,

and then the pull is assembled with the finished slider.

In operation, a quantity of blanks will be placed in the bowl orreceptacle and the bowl rotated at a suitable speed. The blanks will, ofcourse, tumble around in the bowl and rotate with it and during theprocess many of them will strike the interceptor and blade. Those of theblanks which strike the interceptor in the position illustrated in Fig.1 will be stopped by the interceptor engaging the shoulder 60 of theattaching lug on the slider blanks or the projecting lug 62 of the pullblanks. If arw of the articles strike the interceptor with the lugs uptheywill pass by the interceptor without being stopped. The beveled edgeof the deflector blade 52 will prevent jamming of any of the blanksagainst the interceptor. It is immaterial at what angle the articlesstrike the interceptor as long as the lugs are down, for the lugs willengage against the edge of the blade and the inertia of the movingarticle will swing it to the proper angular position, this being truedue to the unbalanced location of the projecting lug. After the articleshave been swung to the proper position, theyare supported upon gravity.This inertia force also tends to hold the shoulders of the lugs againstthe edge of the blade and prevent the articles falling ofl as they slidealong the blade. The articles thus move alongthe blade and are turnedgradually by the spiral portion to a vertical position as illustrated inFigs. 1 and 5. At the vertical portion of the blade, they are held fromfalling off by the retaining member or guard 54, and are thus fedalongthe guide to a suitable machine for performing work such as the bendingmachine in the case of the slider blanks and the pull attaching machinein the case of the pull blanks.

In Fig. ill I have illustrated a modified .form of my invention in whichmost of the parts of the hopper are of the same or similar constructionas the one shown in Figs. 1 to d. The direction of rotation is thereverse or that in Fig.1 and the blade which forms theinterceptor andguide is of difierent construction. Such interceptor and guide bladecomprises preferably a thin piece of steel 66 which is mounted in aheavier supporting member herein in the form of plates d? and 68 onopposite sides of the base of the blade. The blade is thus sup portedalong its entire length but has a thin edge wh ch projects outwardlyfrom the supporting members. "ll'iis thin edge is preferably spaced adefinite distance from the flat portion ll of the bowl for a purposewhich will presently appear.

In Fig. id is shown an example of an article to be hoppered by themodified form of hopper. This is the slider which has been formed fromthe blank of Fig, 8 by bending to til-shape and corresponding numeralsdesignate like parts in both figures. A small slot or slit duo is leftbetween the flanges 57 when the slider is bent to finished shape, thewings being spaced and held in proper relation only by the connectingportion 58.

The blade is twisted on a spiral as in Fig. i into a vertical plane toform the guide portion 69 of the blade. In this embodiment of theinvention there is shown a kick-off member 70 which is attached in anysuitable manner to the spiral portion of the blade so that it any of theblanks are caught in the wrong position, they will be returned to thebowl. I In operation the sliders or similar blanks are placed in anyquantity in the bowl and the bowl rotated to cause the sliders to thestationary blade. The projecting part of the blade to at the interceptorportion is spaced from the floor oi the bowl only slightly more than thethickness of the lower wing lid of the slider and its flanges, to allowsuch wing to pass under it, but not to allow the opposite wing with itslug 59 to pass. lit will therefore be apparent that such blanks as areresting on the floor of the bowl with the lugs up, will, slip over thethin blade as shown in Figs. 1c and ill and it they are not in theproper angular position they will be pivoted around the connectingportion 5t by inertia as in the case of the articles above described.There is a remote'possibllity that spaced from the blade only enough toallow the lower wing 56 to pass between it to the blade but not theupper wing with its lug 59. The articles slide along the inclined bladeand are turned to the vertical position and fed to any suitable machinearranged as shown in Fig. 1

As a resultot my invention it will be observed that a very efilcienthigh speed hopper for small articles of the character mentioned, hasbeen devised. which is extremely simple in construc-= tion and reliablein operation.

While I have in this application specifically described two' embodimentswhich my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood thatthese embodiments are merely for the purposes or illustration anddescription and that various other forms may be devised within the scopeof my. invention ,as deilned in the appended claims.

What it claim as my invention is:

ii. In a machine f or delivering irregularly shaped and holding sucharticles as strike the inter-- lilo;

center in the proper position while being moved ina circular path bysaid rotative portion, and the other portion of said blade constitutinga guideway for conveying the intercepted articles from the machine.

2. in a hopper for delivering irregularly shaped articles in orderlyarrangement, a rotating bowl containing loose articles to be hopperedhaving a portion of its bottom adjacent its periphery not anduninterrupted whereby said articles are carried along said portion in acircular path, said bowl being supported to ro- 1 tical, means forrotating said bowl, an interceptor mounted in said bowl in the circularpath of said articles, said interceptor constituting a stop for engagingirregularities in and obstructing movement or such articles as strikethe interceptor in the proper position-and a guide= way for conveyingthe intercepted articles from the machinewhile keeping thorn. in saidproper position.

3. lln a hopper for delivering .lugged articles in orderly arrangement,a receptacle mounted to rot'ate on an axis inclined at an angle to thevertical, said receptacle having at least a portion or" its bottomadjacent its periphery substantially fiat and uninterrupted, means forcontinuously rotating said receptacle, and a blade arranged on anincline andproiecting into said rotating receptacle, the end portion ofsuch blade extending over and adjacent to said flat portion constitutingan interceptor having an abrupt shoulder for engaging the lugs on andobstructi rotative movement oi such articles as strilre the interceptorin the proper position, and the remai portion of said blade constitutinga guideway for conveying the orderly arranged intercepted articles frthe machine. 4. In a hopper for delivering irregularly shaped articlesin orderly arrangement. a rotating receptacle containing articles to behoppered, a blade projecting into the receptacle and having a. portionconstituting an interceptor arranged in the normal path of rotation ofthe' lldll res articles, v said interceptor having an abrupt15o 4stantially parallel to the direction of normal movement of saidarticles, said blade also constituting a guideway for conveying theinter cepted articles from the machine, the delivery end of said bladebeing twisted into a vertical plane. 7

5. In a hopper for delivering irregularly shaped articles in orderlyarrangement, a rotating receptacle containing articles to be hoppered, ablade projecting into the receptacle and having a portion constitutingan interceptor arranged in the normal path of rotation of the articles,said interceptor having an abrupt shoulder for engaging irregularitiesin and obstructing rotative movement of such articles as strike theinterceptor in the proper positions, said interceptor portion alsohaving a supporting surface adjacent said shoulder which issubstantially parallel to the direction of normal movement of saidarticles from the machine, said blade being twisted into a verticalplane in the guide portion, and a retaining member arranged parallel tosaid vertical guide portion for retaining the articles thereon.

6. In a hopper for delivering unsymmetrical articles in orderlyarrangement, a rotating bowl arranged on an inclined axis, driving meansfor rotating such bowl, 9. blade arranged on an incline, and projectinginto said bowl, the end portion of said blade constituting aninterceptor arranged in the path of movement of the articles in saidbowl, said interceptor constituting a stop for engaging unsymmetricallylocated portions of and holding such articles that strike theinterceptor in the proper position, the remaining portion of said bladeconstituting a guideway for conveying the intercepted articles from thehopper, a stationary guard surrounding said rotating bowl, and means forsupporting said blade from said guard.

7. Inv a hopper for delivering unsymmetrical articles in orderlyarrangement, a stationary base, a driving shaft mounted in said base, arotary bowl mounted on said base and angularly adjustable about saidshaft as a pivot, power transmission mechanism for rotating said bowl.

fromsaid shaft about an inclined axis in any adjusted position of saidbowl, and a blade projecting into said bowl, said blade having a portionconstituting an interceptor in the path of movement of said articles forengaging unsymmetrically located portions of and obstructing rotativemovement of said articles, said blade also constituting a guideway forconveying articles from said bowl.

8. In a hopper for articles each having a projecting lug adjacent one ofits ends, a bowl mounted to rotate about an axis inclined at an acuteangle to the vertical, driving means for rotating said bowl, a bladeprojecting into the bowl and having an interceptor portion arrangedparallel to and adjacent a portion of the floor of the bowl between itsouter periphery and the edge of said blade, said interceptorconstituting a stop for engaging said lugs and obstructing rotativemovement of said articles when they strike the interceptor with the lugsin the proper position, and a deflector mounted adjacent the edge ofsaid interceptor to deflect the ends as they approach the interceptorfor preventing the ends of said articles catching against the edge ofsaid blade, and a guide for conveying the intercepted articles from thehopper.

9. In a mechanism for gathering irregularly shaped articles from a loosemass and feeding them in orderly arrangement, a rotating receptacle forthe articles in mass having a flat uninterrupted surface adjacent itsperiphery,

means for rotating said receptacle whereby the articles are thrown tothe peripheral portion of the receptacle by centrifugal force, aninterceptor projecting into the path of said articles, said interceptorhaving a surface adapted to engage portions of the articles only whenthe articles are presented in the proper position and thus to interceptsuch articles while moving in a circular path around. the receptacle,and means for conveying the intercepted articles in orderly arrangement.I

10. A mechanism for gathering irregularly shaped articles having a lugor projection offset from the center of gravity and feeding them inorderly arrangement, comprising a receptacle for receiving a loose massof the articles, the bottom of said receptacle having a substantiallyflat uninterrupted surface adjacent the periphery of the receptacleinclined to the horizontal, means for rotating such portion .of thebottom of said receptacle about an axis substantially perpendicular tothe plane of said surface whereby the 'mass' of articles move in acontinuous orbital path around the periphery of 'said receptacle,.beingcarriedto the upper edge thereof by centrifugal force, an interceptorextending across said path of thear-- 'ticles having an edge ,againstwhichthe lugs

